Sponge rubber



@rcfiw 14, 1930.. w MULLER 1,778,27Q

SPONGE RUBBER Filed Jan. 30/1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Twas W, Mi 1.1 Q 2'gttozrzaesa @Cfi. 14, 1930. T, w M L 1,778,270

SPONGE RUBBER Filed Jan. 30. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T'bogw Y3K Mil e 7 1E113 5 jaw/MM,

g ttcrges Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS W.MILLER, OI ASHLAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE FAUIIILESS RUBBER COI- PANY,O1 ASHLAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO sronen nuanaa My inventionrelates to sponge rubber articles, and to a process of making the same,and the principal object of iny invention is to provide new and improvedarticles, and a new and improved process, and in the drawingsaccompanyin this specification and forming a part this application Ihave shown, for purposes of illustration, certain forms which myinvention may assume. In these drawings I Figure 1 is a perspective viewillustrating two slabs of vulcanized sponge rubber,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a composite slab formable from the twoslabs of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a bath sponge formable from thecomposite slab of -Figure 2, a

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second composite slab formable fromthe slabs of Figure 1,

Figure 5-is a perspective view of a bath sponge formable from thecomposite slab of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a fperspective view of a third composite slab ormable fromthe slabs of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a bath sponge formable from thecomposite slab of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a fourth form of bath sponge formablefrom the slabs of Figure 1,

I Figure 9 is a (perspective view of a powder puff constructe accordinto my invention Figure 10 is a section 0 the line 10-10 0 Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a perspective view of another form of powder pufi alsoconstructedaccording to my invention, while .igure 12 is a section ofthe line 12-12 of Fi re 11.

escribing my invention as it is applied to bath sponges, I form twoslabs of vulcanized sponge rubber 21 and 22 as shown in Figure 1, eachin a suitable mold and therefore covered on all sides with a smooth skin23 enclosing a sponge rubber body 24, then I trim the slabs 21 and 22along the dotted hnes 25 to remove the peripheral margins 26, and then Isplit the slabs 21 and 22 along the center lines 27. Obviousl this'vesme four half slabs, two half sla 28 mm the slab'21 and two halfslabs 29 from the slab 22, each half slab showing cut spon e on its fourmarginal edges and on one ace, and showing skin on its other face. NextI take two of these half slabs 28 and 29 and lace them together back toback, that is wit the two skin faces abutting, and I secure these twohalf slabs together in this osition in any suitable manner, for exampleby cementing them to etherwith a suitable rubber cement. Obvlously atthis point I produce a composite slab equal in thickness to either ofthe original slabs but with the skin of the two faces of the originalslab shifted to the center to act as a stiffener, and with cut sponge onall exposed sides and faces, and accordinglyin this way I have produceda spon e sheet having cut sponge on all expose surfaces, and I have doneso without the waste which would be incurred by merely trimmin allsurfaces of the slabs 21 and 22, yet at tie same time I haveproduced asponge sheet which because of the center stiffening resulting from theretention of the skins and the placing of the two skins in a positionabutting each other actually is greatly superior at least for manypurposes.

At the same time still another a'dvanta and result can be obtained; ifthe two sla s 21 and 22 are formed of different sponge rubbers, and ifthe composite slab is formed of one half slab 28 from the slab 21 andone half slab 29 from the slab 22, then the composite slab will be ofone sponge rubber on one face andof another sponge rubber on the otherface. For example, if the slab 21 is green color sponge rubber of coarsetexture and t 30 may be cut as indicated by the dotted .jectionextending from the lines 31 to form a plurality of bath sponges 32- asshown in Figure 3,;each having cut sponge on all surfaces, eachstrengthened by the centrally positioned skins 23, each having oneportion colored" green and of coarse texture for rough cleansing, andeach having a portion 34 colored blue and of fin texture for moredelicate cleansing.

' Under certain circumstances it may be desirable to stiifen the articleadditionally to the stifi'ening resultingfrom the center positioning ofthe skins 23, and in such case I may interpose between the two halfslabs 28 or 29 a sheet of rubber 35 or 36 as shown in the compositeslabs 37 and 38 of Figures 4 and 6, and in such event I may form therubberisheets 35 and 36 with utilitarian projections, for example, therubber sheet 35 with a plurality of teeth 39 projecting along each-ofthe longitudinal edges of the composite slab 31, and the rubber sheet 36with aplurality of tabs 49 projecting along each of the longitudinaledges" of the composite slab 38, so that when the composite slabs 37 and38' are out along the lines 41 and 42 there will result the bath sponges43 and 44 shown. respectively in Figures 5 and 7 and 9*: each similar tothe bath sponge 34 of Figure 3 but provided with the central stifiening'sheet 35 or 36 and with the functional pro- 2 sheet 35 or. 36, thesponge 43 with the points 39 suitable for various purposes such ascleaning finger nails. and the sponge44 with the tab 49 by which thesponge may be hung upon a suitable hook.

I nsome-instancesit may be desirable to provide a plurality ofutilitarian projections on each individual bath sponge, and in such caseI may cut the one half slabs 28 and 29' into blocks before they areassembled back to back and then assemble each pair of blocks .Qbacktoback to secure thebath sponges 45 of Figure 8 wherein there isinterposed between the green and blue portions 46. and 47 a, spongerubber sheet 48 having autilitarian projection on each edge, thepoints39 on each longitudinal edge and a tab 40 ori each end edge. Of courseit will be understood that the projections may differ on the two sides,also on the two ends, and also that where only-two different projectionsare required that result may be accomplished withillustration I have shout cutting the half slabs into individual blocks, for example, the halfslabs will be cut into blocks large enoughfor four bath sponges, twoeach way, and one type of projection provided on one pair of oppositeedges of the inserted sheet and the other type on the other pair ofopposite edges of the inserted sheet, whereupon each individual bathsponge will be provided on one side with one type of projection and theone end with the other type of projection.

Of course it will be understood that the sponges of Figures 5 and 7 and8 may be formed of one sponge rubber or of two sponge rubbers, whichevermay be desired;

in the same manner as described in connection with the sponge of Figure3. I

In the foregoing I have considered my invention as applied to bathsponge, but it may be applied to other articles, and by way of own myinvention in Figures 9 through 12 as applied to a powder puff, inFigures 9 and 10 to a powder pufi' 49 comprising an upper blue portion50 and a lower green portion 51 both of fine texture, strengthened onlyby the skin 52, and pro- .vided with a thin rubber tape 53 insertedbetween the two portions 50 and 51 atone corner thereof to form a tab bywhich the puff 49 may be handled, while in Figures 11 and 12 I haveshown a puff 54 comprising a loweneoarse texture green portion 55 and anupper fine texture blue portion 56 between which is interposed astiflening sheet 57 provided with a tab 58. I

Of course it will beobvious to those skilled in the art that the variousfeatures enumerated in connection with the bath sponge may also beapplied to the powder puff, also that some or all of the featureshere indisclosed may be applied to various other sponge rubber articles, andthat in-one form or another the process herein above disclosed will beutilized in the manufacture not only of bath sponges and powder puflt'sbut of a wide variety of sponge rubber articles, accordingly it will beobvious that the embodiments of my invention herein disclosed areillustrative only, that my invention is not limited to those particularembodiments which I have dis closed herein.

I claim:

1. The method of forming'a sponge rubber article which comprises unitingtwo pieces of sponge rubber each formed by splitting a sponge rubberslab and 'from the abutting face of at least one of which the skinhasnot been removed.

2. The method of forming a sponge rubber article which comprisesuniting, against thetwo sides of a rubber sheet, two pieces of spongerubber each formed by splitting a sponge, rubber slab and from theabutting face of at least one of which the skin has not been removed.

3. The method of forming a sponge-rubber article, which comprises:splitting a spongerubber slab, to form a split-slab sponge-rubber board,and superposin said split-slab board and another sponge-ru ber board,with skin on at least one of the abutting surfaces, to form anintermediate reinforcement 4. The method of forming a sponge-rubberarticle, which comprises: splitting a spongerubber slab,to form asplit-slab sponge-rubber board, and superposing said split-slab boardand another sponge-rubber board, with skin on at least one of theabutting surfaces, to form an intermediate reinforcement, and

with cut sponge on at least one of the opposite faces.

5. The method of forming a sponge-rubber article, which comprises:splitting spongerubber slab, to form split-slab sponge rubber boards,and superposing two such boards, with skin on at least one of theabuttingsurfaces, to form an intermediate reinforcement, and with cutsponge on at least one of the opposite faces. 7 i

6. The method-of forming a sponge-rubber article, which comprises:splitting a spongesignature.

THOMAS W. MILLER.

rubber slab, to form a split-slab sponge-rubber board, and superposing'said split-slab board and another sponge-rubber board, with skin on boththe abutting surfaces, to form an intermediate reinforcement, and withcut sponge on at least one of the opposite faces.

A sponge-rubber article, comprising two sponge-rubber boards, superposedone on the a other, at least one being asplit of a spongerubber slab,and at least one having skin on its abutting face, to provide anintermediate reinforcement.

8.v A sponge-rubber article, comprising two sponge-rubber boards,superposed one on the other, at least one having skin on its abuttingface, to provide an intermediate reinforcement, and at least one havingcut sponge on its face opposite its abutting face.

9. A sponge-rubber article, comprising two sponge-rubber boards,superposed one on the other, at least one being a split of aspongerubber slab, at least one having skin on its abutting face, toprovide an intermediate reinforcement, and at. least one having cutsponge on its face opposite its abutting face.

10. A sponge-rubber article, comprising two sponge-rubber boards,superposed one on the other, each being a split of a sponge-rubber slab,at least one having skin on its abutting face, to provide anintermediate reinforcement, and at least one having cut sponge on itsface opposite its abutting face.

11. A sponge-rubber article, comprising twosponge-rubber boards,superposed one on the other, at least one being a splitof a spongerubberslab, each having skin on its abutting face, to provide an intermediatereinforcement, and at least one having cut sponge on its face oppositeits abutting face.

